Wards



Pa tented Oct. ll, I898.

No. 6l2,025

N. W. EDWARDS. BOW FACING OAR.

(Application filed Mar. 24, 1897.)

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NOAH WVEBSTER EDWVARDS,-OFCOLU1VIBIA, MISSOURI.

BOW-FACI NG OAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 612,025, dated October 11, 1898.

Application filed March 24, 1897.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, NOAH WEBSTER ED- WARDS, of Columbia, in the county of Boone and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to improvements in oars; and the object I have in view is to provide an oar whereby an operator can face the how of the boat instead of the stern and direct its course. Another object is to provide mechanism whereby an operator may propel the boat with a minimum amount of labor.

The invention consists in the combination, with an oar and an operating-lever, of a link and cross-rods pivotally united to the oar and operating-lever and the whole pivotally mounted upon the side or gunwale of the boat; and the invention further consists in the detailed construction of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view showing myinvention applied. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the oar ready for a stroke. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the connecting-arms and the link.

I ike numerals of reference denote corre sponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 1ngs.

The oar 1 is pivoted or fulcrumed near its inner end to an oar-lock 1, said oar-lock being in turn pivoted to the side or gunwale of the boat. A short distance from the oar 1 I provide an operating-lever 2, which is also pivoted to an oar-lock 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the operating-lever and the oar lie parallel to each other and on the same horizontal plane.

On the oar 1 and operating-lever 2 I preferably provide wear-plates 3, which, besides protecting the oar and lever, strengthen them at the points where there is the greatest strain.

Connecting theoperating-lever at a point at the rear of its pivot and the oar at a point in front of its pivot is a rod 4:. This rod has its extremities bent at right angles, forming Serial No. 629,009. (No model.)

arms, as shown in Fig. 3, which arms extend through holes or apertures 5 and 6 inthe oar and lever, respectively, and are adapted to be loosely secured therein by nuts, pins, or other suitable fastening means. I provide a slot 10 in the rod 4, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

The rod 7 has one end bent at a right angle, forming a short arm similar to those on rod 4, which arm extends through a hole or aperture 8 adjacent to the inner end of the oar and is suitably fastened therein in any preferred manner. The opposite end of this rod 7 is preferably provided with an aperture which is adapted to receive the short arm of a connecting-link 9. This link 9 is preferably in the form shown by the detail view, Fig. 3,

and connects the outer extremity of the rod 7 with the operating-lever 2. The rod 7 is flat for nearly the whole of its length, as shown, which flat portion extends through and works in the slot 10 of the rod 4. Thus it will be seen that the rods 4 and 7 cross on the same horizontal plane, but do not interfere one with the other in their operation. By the use of this link 9 I am enabled to so position the levers as to obtain increased motion at the handle and free or outer end of the oar and increased power with less motion at the end of the lever and the short end of the oar. pivot 1 and the pivotal point 8 at the end of oar may be greater than the distance from the pivot 2 and the pivotal point 9 of the operating-lever to give the increased power, in which event the link 9 takes the position shown in Fig. 2.

My device is simple and economical. The rods, crossing as described, take up a minimum amount of space and enable the device to present a neat appearance, besides being durable and effective.

In operation the oarsman is seated facing the bow of the boat, and by pushing the operating-levers forward the oars are brought to a position for the stroke. erating-leversare moved 'in the opposite di= rection, the oars are moved in a direction to propel the boat forward, as will be under stood. The depth of the oars in the water is regulated by means of the levers and oars being pivotally attached to oar-locks and For instance, the distance between the When the opthrough the medium of the connecting-rods 4: 7, which keep the levers and cars on the same horizontal or inclined plane.

It will be understood that the car and its operating devices can easily be removed from the boat by having the car and operating-lever detaehably pivoted to the oar-locks 1 and 2, respectively, or by removing the oar-locks with the device.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have produced an car which will enable the operator to face the direction in which the boat is moving, so that a View can be obtained of objects in the course of the boat and its direction changed to avoid the same.

It is thought that the advantages of my device will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts may be made bya skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope thereof. For example, it is not necessary to have one rod pass through a slot in the other rod, (to.

Ilavin g thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with an car and an opcrating-lever pivotally mounted upon a boat, crossed rods connecting said oar and operating-lever on opposite sides of theirfulcrums, of a link attached to one of the cross rods, said cross-rods and link pivotally connecting the car and operating-lever, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an oar and an operating-lever pivotally mounted upon a boat, of crossed rods pivotally connecting said oar and lever on opposite sides of theirfulcrums, one of said rods being slotted to receive the other which passes therethrough, and a link connecting one of the rods to the operatinglever, said link having its ends turned in opposite directions and engaging apertures in the rod and lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NOAH WEBSTER EDIVARDS.

\Vitnesses:

J. G. EDWARDS, IRVIN DAVIS. 

